Hydrostatically operated firing device



Nov. 11, 1958 s. BURG h 2,859,696

HYDROSTATICALLY- OPERATED FIRING DEVICE Original Filed March 18, 1953 QQ E u N :2 E K)\ a E 5 g R m b O 0 N u h 2 Q 2 N S Q rm m v I 0 ml 0) mm m IIIIIII d I 5 INVENTOR OLOMON BURG ATTORNEY 8 7 2,359,696HYDRUSTATECrn-LLY @PERATED FIRiNG DEVICE Solomon Eur-g, KensingtonHeights, Md.

2 Claims. (Cl. 102- 7) 7 The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

This is a division of application Serial No. 343,208,

filed March 18, 1953, which is now Patent No. 2,837,026, for DepthCharge Firing Control Mechanism. .This invention relates to ahydrostatically operated firingdevice, and more particularly to ahydrostatically operated firing device having a positive action releasefor the firing pin of a depth charge pistol.

Heretofore, firing pin devices for depth charge pistols have beensubject to unintentional release by shocks and jars which occur throughrough handling. By a unique constructional arrangement of the elementscomprlsing the firing pin mechanism disclosed herein, such shocks andjars are utilized to tighten the grip upon the firing pin so as toinsure holding it in the retracted position except when acted upon bydefinitely planned actuating means.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel means forholding a firing pin in a retracted position, any effort on the pin tomove it toward its firing position serving to grip it more tightly thanbefore.

Another object is the provision of a novel release for a firing pin,according to which the wedge action of a hydrostatically-operated pistonmay separate the latches whichotherwise grip the firing pin to hold itin the retracted position. Other objects and many of the attendantadvantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the samebecomes better understood by reference to the following detailed.description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

- "The figure is a central longitudinal section of the nose and bodyportion of the depth charge showing the pre ferred modification of theinvention in detail.

In the drawing the depth charge is commonly designated 11. Its intendeduse is in practice submarine warfare. This, however, is no limitationupon the use of the missile since the identical structure and principleof operation will obtain when produced for actual warfare. It may behand-launched, or it may be started on its air trajectory by amechanical or explosive projector of a chosemtype. In the first instancethe missile is simply droppedloverboard or dropped from an aircraft. Themissile housing the firing pin mechanism may take shapes other than thatshown; for example, the firing mechanism may be utilized in apotato-masher type hand grenade.

For purposes of illustration the major structural components of depthcharge it are shown to comprise only a spherical nosepiece 29 and a bodysection or casing 31. In practical application the depth charge iscomprised of a plurality of additional parts to include a largeexplosive compound. The nosepiece is built up on an annular base, notshown, which may be aflixed by means of a mutual thread course 36 to thesocket 34 of a bulkhead 35 at the forward end of body section 31. Mostof the socket is Patented Nov. 11, 195

filled by the base of the nosepiece and attachments, however, some spaceis left to define the chamber 37. Y

The nosepiece '29 houses a ball valve structure, not shown, which servesto release a firing pin in a manner to be explained hereinafter; thevalve structure being shown anddescribed in parent application SerialNo. 343,208, which is now Patent No. 2,837,026. Seawater is admitted tothe chamber 37 through suitable means such as a valve structure housedwithin the nosepiece 29,and this chamber 37 joins the bulkhead 35 whichfronts the firing pin release mechanism 32 situated in the body sec;tion 31. The firing mechanism includes a firing pin 68 which is loadedby a spring 69, with one end of this spring abutting a collar 70 on thefiring pin. Collar 70 has guidance in the bore of a fitting 71, thebottom of which bore serves as an abutting surface for the other end ofthe spring 69. A tapered portion 72 of firing pin 68, made by annularlyand progressively turning the firing pin down, forms a head 73. Theshoulders '74 of a pair of latches 75 engage theunderside of the head,being made to do so by coil spring ring 76 that encircles the latches.The latter are pivoted to the fitting 71 and because of their shaping toform the shoulders 74, are accommodated adjacent the tapered portion 72.The rounded terminals 77 touch on the center line of the firingmechanism as shown, being held in that engagement by the spring 76.

Parting of the latches 75 as by the introduction of a prod between therounded terminals 77 will displace the shoulders 74 from underneath thehead 73, thus releasing the compressed spring 69 for a sharp drive ofthe firing pin 68 to the rear' .The foregoing prod consists of a firingplunger 78 with a point directed toward the terminals 77. The plunger isguided in a bore in the externally threaded boss 79 of the bulkhead 35.A sleeve 79a screwed onto the boss houses the latches and carries thefitting 71. A spring 80 biases the plunger in the direction away fromthe firing mechanism, the spring having bear ing on the bottom of acounterbore in the boss and against the shaped head 81 of the plunger.

One part of this head has bearing in a second counter bore in the boss.The other part ofthe head 81 has contact with a flexible diaphragm 82.The fiexureof the diaphragm by expansion of the spring is limited by.- ametal screen 83. The diaphragm and the: screen are commonly secured tothe bulkhead 35 by suitable fasteners such as screws 84.

The screen admits water from the chamber 37 to the front of thediaphragm, flexing the latter against the expansion of the spring 80 anddriving the plunger 78 between the terminals 77. The separation of thelatches releases the firing pin as has been explained.

At this point it is thought desirable to describe two aspects of thefiring mechanism in addition to the features of it outlined immediatelyabove. The first relates-to the automatic seating of the latches 75. Thespacingof the latches at the places adjoining their pivots issulficientiy ample and necessarily so, to admit the head 73 on an inwardpush of the firingpin.

push such expansion as can occur is ended by the engagement of the head73 against the shoulders 74 and by the mutual contact of the terminals77. The pressure of the head occurs on lines inside of the latch pivots.There is thus a constant effort to swing the latches toward each otherso that they automatically remain closed.

The second aspect relates to the shock-proof feature of the firingmechanism. The mass of the firing pin 68 and both the masses and forcesof springs 69 and 76 are so chosen as compared to the mass of the firingplunger 78 and the mass and force of spring 80, that when The spring 69is compressed on that push, and on relaxation of the inertia forces areapplied, the torque exerted by the firing,

pin on the latches 75 about their fulcrums 75a is greater in normalusage than that produced by the firing plunger whenbrought in. contactwith the latches due to inertia;

In other words, by-energy ofa .shock the firing pin 68 increases.,withinthis chamber,,the diaphragm is flexed rearwardly and plunger 78, isforced between the terminals 77 -;to spread the latches 75. The'releaseof the head 73 allows the spring 69 to thrust the firing pin intoadetonator which, by this time, is in an armed positionto be detonated;better understood by reference to application Serial No. 543,192 forSafety and Arming Device for Explosive Charges, filed October 27, 1955.

This explosion'in turn sets off the main charge of the depth charge. Thelatch and springmode of operationmade possibleby the structuralarrangement of the instant-.firingpin mechanism permits rough handlingas 7 means carried by said plunger and movable therebyintov structure,not; shown; within nosepiece 29 ofthe. depth a charge and enter intothechamber 37., As thepressure well as launching from projectors whichcreate high initial shock-to the elements comprising depth charges.-jObviously many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in the light of the above teachings.- It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope 'ofthe appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

1; What is claimed is:

$1. In a hydrostatically operated firing device for use in a depthcharge, the combination of a casing exposed at one end to a hydrostatichead, a sleeve secured to and disposedzwithin said casing and having afitting carried thereby, a normally locked spring-loaded firing pindisposed within and guided for axial movement by said fittingas thefiring pin is released, a' tapered portion formed on one end of thefiring pin and terminating in an enlarged head having a pair ofoppositely disposed planar surfaces normal to the longitudinal axis ofthe firing :pin and a peripheral surface thereon parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the firingpin, a pair of oppositely disposed latchmembers arranged within and pivotally mounted on said fitting, each ofsaid latch members having an inclined portion in engagement with saidtapered portion and terminating in a shoulder in engagement with one ofsaid planar surfaces of said head and astraight portion bordering onsaid shoulder in engagement with the peripheral surface of said head forreleasably locking said pin, spring means surrounding said latch membersfor maintaining said inclined portions in engagement with said taperedportion and said shoul- -ders in engagement with said one planarsurface, said spring means also maintaining said straight portions inengagement with said peripheral surface until said latch members aremoved laterally to a release position to unlock said pin, an enlargedportion on each of said latch members and normally maintained inabutting ening the pin in said. initial safe position, spring meansmeans, movable means supported within said casing, cam

4 1 I gagement with respect to each other by said spring means, aplunger movably arranged within said casing, scam engagement with saidenlarged portions 'for moving said latch members laterally to saidrelease position, and means sealed to said casing in engagement withsaid plung and actuated in response to a predetermin d hydrostatipressure for moving said plunger. 2. In a hydrostatically operatedfiring device for-use in a depth charge, the combination of a casingexposed at one end to a hydrostatic head, a sleeve secured to anddisposed within said casing and having a fitting-ear ried thereby, anormally locked spring-loaded firing p' disposed "within, said fittingand movable thereingfrom an initial position to a firing position whenthe pin" released, a tapered portion formed onrone end of the} firingpin and'terminating in an enlarged head havin apair of oppositelydisposed planar surfaces normalto the longitudinal axis of the firingpin and a peripheral surface thereon parallel to the longitudinal axis.of the firing pin, a pair of latch members pivotally mounted onsaidfitting and movable laterally to a release posi tion, each of saidlatch members 'havingz'an inclined portion in engagement with saidtapered .portion and terminating in a shoulder in engagement with oneof. said planar surfaces, and a straight portion in-engagement withsaid'peripheral surface for releasably lock surrounding and inengagement with said latch members: for'maintaining said inclinedportions in engagement with said tapered portion, and said shoulders inengagement with said one planar surface, said spring means maintainingsaid straight portions in engagement with. said peripheral surface untilsaid latch membersarc moved laterally to a release position to unlocksaidpin; means in engagement With said pin and fitting for forcibly 1driving the pin from said initial position toa position as the pin isunlocked, rigid means on each ofsaid, latch members and normallymaintained in abut ting engagement with respectto each other by saidspring means carried-by said movable means and movable therewithintofengagement with said rigid means for movi g; said latch memberslaterally to said release position 10 unlock said pin, yieldable meansin engagement with said movable means for maintaining said cammeansiirrv mutual spaced relation with respect to said rigid means untilsaid movable means is moved a predetermined amount, and means sealed tosaid casing in engagement; with saidmovable means and actuated inresponse to hydrostatic pressure for moving said movable means saidpredetermined amount when said pressure overcomes the" force of saidyieldable means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,465,009 Chase Mar. 22, 1949 2,667,838 Cook Feb. 2, 1954:

FOREIGN PATENTS 438,359 France Mar. 15, 191

490,352 Great Britain Aug. 1219.?

